|
The Summits Process has provided a stimulus to the participation of civil society within the structure of the OAS and throughout the Hemisphere. At each of the Five Summits of the Americas (Miami, USA in 1994; Santiago, Chile in 1998; Quebec City, Canada in 2001; Mar del Plata, Argentina in 2005; Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago in 2009) and two Special Summits (Santa Cruz, Bolivia in 1996 and Monterrey, Mexico in 2004) the Heads of State and Government recognized the importance of including civil society in order to strengthen democracy; encouraged governments to cooperate with civil society organizations in the formulation and implementation of development policies and programs; and acknowledged the powerful role of the diverse social actors in the consolidation of democracy.
The Summits of the Americas Secretariat (formerly the Office for the Summit Process) and the civil society organizations throughout the Americas have a long standing relationship and actively cooperate to provide opportunities for continued participation in the activities of the OAS. The Summits of the Americas Secretariat (SAS) has taken on the responsibility of promoting civil society participation in the Summits of the Americas Process and has embraced the contributions of a productive relationship with civil society groups in the thematic areas of the hemispheric agenda. Through this engagement, the OAS has established a solid reputation for promoting the institutionalization of exchanges between civil society representatives and member States within the framework of the Summits.
Also, through the Committee on Inter-American Summits Management and Civil Society Participation in OAS Activities (CISC) and the General Secretariat, the OAS has developed a number of initiatives to create opportunities for participation and discussion as well as to report on Summit policy developments in the inter-American system. For example:
-
Regional forums/discussions organized by CSOs, with technical support from the OAS, to afford opportunities for policy-making and for implementation and follow-up to the Summit mandates;
-
Presentation of proposals and recommendations resulting from a series of national and regional consultations held with diverse social actors on topics on the hemispheric agenda, covering social, political, economic, and cultural issues;
-
Establishment of strategic networks of CSOs, governments, and inter-American and international organizations to exchange information and provide feedback on implementation and follow-up of the Summit mandates;
-
Institutionalization of dialogues between CSOs and high-ranking national officials from Ministries of Foreign Affairs to exchange views on policy design and fulfillment of Summit mandates;
-
Holding of special meetings with civil society during meetings of the Summit Implementation Review Group (SIRG) to exchange information on the Summits Process;
-
Elaboration of strategies to more effectively engage the various social actors, including through the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), such as the
Summits Virtual Platform initiative.
|
|
